Behavioural Approach to Treating Phobias

• Systematic Desensitisation


  Step 1 - patient is taught to relax muscles completely (relaxed state incompatible with anxiety)

  Step 2 - therapist + patient together construct a desensitisation hierarchy, series of imagined scenes each being more distressing than previous.

  Step 3 - patient work their way up hierarchy being gradually exposed to anxiety provoking event whilst practising relaxation techniques.

  Step 4 - once patient has mastered one step in hierarchy and relatively relaxed, they move onto next one

  Step 5 - patient eventually masters feared situation that caused them to seek help in first place
• Strength of Systematic Desensitisation - research support

  research evidence demonstrating effectiveness of treatment for phobias.

  McGrath et al found 75% of patients with phobias were successfully treated using systematic desensitisation, when using in vivo techniques (real life)
• Strength of Systematic Desensitisation - further support

  further research from Gilroy et al, examined 42 patients with arachnophobia.

  patients were treated using three 45mins systematic desensitisation sessions.

  in 3 months and 33 months later, systematic desensitisation group were less fearful than a control group (only taught relaxation techniques)

  further support, as a long-term treatment for phobias
• Weakness of Systematic Desensitisation - not effective for all phobias

  not effective in treating all phobias.

  patients phobias haven't developed through a personal experience e.g. a fear of heights aren't effectively treated using systematic desensitisation.

  some psychologists believe that certain phobias, have an evolutionary survival benefit and aren't result of personal experience, but result of evolution.

  phobias highlight a limitation of systematic desensitisation which is ineffective in treating evolutionary phobias.
• Flooding


  involves putting the phobic individual in a situation where they would be forced to face their phobia.

  inescapable exposure lasts until fear response disappears.

  there's a limit of how long the body can sustain a fear response and eventually disappears.

  suggests that as physical fear reduces so will the high levels of anxiety that are linked to the situation.
• Strength of Flooding - cost effective

  cost effective as involves only one session

  advantageous compared to other treatments which require a therapist, and a course of sessions.

  cheaper but means phobic patient is free of symptoms quickly.
• Weakness of Flooding - may be ineffective

  may be ineffective as they don't treat the underlying cause of phobia.

  only address the behavioural symptoms, other psychologists argue they don't address the cause and will result in symptom substitution i.e. removing one problem for it to resurface in another form.

  suggests that behavioural therapies are only short term solutions and not completely effective
• Weakness of Flooding - inappropriate for some patients

  inappropriate for some patients due to intense traumatic nature of experience.

  not unethical however the trauma may lead to the patient not starting/quitting during treatment so has a high drop out rate.

  may not be suitable for all individuals and won't lead to a reduction in symptoms. also mean time and money may be wasted.